


When You Love Someone

by stone_wolf_fountain (blackbones)



Category: Arthurian Mythology & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, If I remember correctly, M/M, and a mention of lancelot and galehaut, asexual galahad, bc in the legends he get powers for being a virgin, just want to give these guys some love because the arthurian legends are underrated, maybe in the overall au, no magic, not in this particular fic, or pure or w/e, plus an appearance by arthur, probably no magic, we'll see
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 09:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9316232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackbones/pseuds/stone_wolf_fountain
Summary: Galahad and Mordred have been dating for the last year and a half, but they've never gone further than kissing. So Mordred decides to take the next step and nearly loses the thing he cares most about.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure how well that title works but whatever.
> 
> Part of a modern, college AU that I may or may not expand on. Depends on what my inspiration and motivation let me do.

Mordred deepened the kiss, pinning Galahad to the wall. The other boy’s arms were wrapped around Mordred’s neck, happily returning the kiss.

Maybe now, Mordred thought. His hands slid down Galahad’s back to the waist of his jeans and forward toward the button. He wasn’t expecting Galahad’s sudden gasp and his hands knocking Mordred’s away.

“Please don’t.” Galahad pressed the back of one hand against his lips, staring at the floor between Mordred’s feet.

Mordred was caught off guard as anger, that bitter, wicked substance that he so hated, frothed from nowhere, crashing against him like a tidal wave. He hated how it could rear it’s ugly head at the slightest provocation.

His fist slammed into the wall next to Galahad’s head. Galahad flinched but didn’t look at him.

“I should have known you wouldn’t want to.” That’s not what he meant to say. That’s not how he wanted to treat Galahad, sweet Galahad, who’d taken a chance on him when even his brother Lancelot had shunned him. “It’s because I’m a bastard, isn’t it? With a blood line like your’s you won’t touch filth like me.”

Galahad shook his head, still not meeting Mordred’s gaze. The tears that threatened to spill from Galahad’s eyes only angered Mordred more. Galahad wasn’t weak, why was he crying? He had nothing worth crying over. Not when everything was handed to him on a silver platter.

Mordred punched the wall again and stormed away before he did something he’d regret. If he had looked back over his shoulder on his way out of the apartment, he would have seen Galahad slide to the floor, face in his hands.

~

Mordred couldn’t sleep. He lay on his back, staring at his ceiling. Arthur, who’d offered to let his half-brother stay with him until he got his feet under him, had fallen asleep hours ago, probably on the essay he needed to finish for one of his classes.

His mind wouldn’t let him forget the way Galahad wouldn’t look at him. It was driving him crazy and he wasn’t going to get any sleep like this.

After some blind groping, he found his phone and unlocked it. He tapped Galahad’s number and texted him, Are you awake?

A moment of anxious waiting passed, then, Yes.

A sigh of relief escaped Mordred’s lips. Galahad wasn’t mad enough to not talk to him.

Can I call you?

No… Lance is still awake. He’s on the phone with Galehaut.

That put a wrench in Mordred’s plan. I want to talk to you.

I don’t really want to talk to you right now.

You’re texting me.

That’s… different.

Galahad, please.

No.

Mordred knew Galahad wasn’t going to cave. He was a lot like his brother in that regard. So Mordred tried something else.

Will you meet me at that cafe you like?

What don’t you understand about ‘I don’t want to talk to you?’

Everything… please?

Galahad took his time responding, making Mordred anxious. ...Why?

Mordred breathed a sigh of relief. Getting Galahad to question his motive was half the battle. I want to talk to you about what happened today. And not by texting. I want to see you.

Galahad’s response took even longer this time, long enough that Mordred began to wonder if he’d fallen asleep or turned off his phone.

I’m not promising I’ll come, but what time were you thinking?

Even more progress. Mordred would bet the world that Galahad would be waiting for him. 1:15.

Mordred, it’s the middle of the night.

Yeah. I usually stay up later. And I’m not getting any sleep with this bothering me.

Mordred could easily imagine Galahad sighing in resignation. He waited for a minute, to see if Galahad had anything to say, and when he didn’t, sent, I’m going to wait at the cafe. You can come join me if you want.

Mordred turned his phone off before he could see what Galahad’s response was, if he even gave one. Instead, he slid out of bed, pulled a jacket over his t-shirt, and made his way downstairs. Sure enough, Arthur was fast asleep on the couch, paper scattered around him. He didn’t stir as Mordred passed or when the front door opened and closed.

The cool air cleared Mordred’s head of the leftover anger from earlier. The walk to Galahad’s cafe took him twenty minutes, twenty minutes he spent thinking about why this insensible anger plagued him, why he loved Galahad, and why he didn’t want to lose him.

It was easy to figure out why Mordred loved Galahad. The other boy was kind and gentle and had taken a chance on Mordred when nobody else would, with the exception of Merlin. Even Arthur wasn’t that fond of his half-brother. But Galahad had taken the time to get to know him and made a point of actively seeking out Mordred so they could hang out.

Mordred had been wary at first, why wouldn’t he be? People that nice rarely ever wanted nothing in return. Well, that wasn’t untrue for Galahad either, but he wanted Mordred to be happy and feel included, instead of to take advantage of him. And who would want to lose someone like that?

Certainly not Mordred. He was unused to having someone who cared about him so the idea of driving Galahad away scared him more than anything had in a long time.

The anger was harder to pin down. Mordred wouldn’t call himself abused, though Merlin often tried to argue otherwise. He’d just never learned how emotions worked. His mother had been busy with her own thing and Mordred had never been very high on her list of priorities. And he’d never had a father, since Uther had chosen to stay with Arthur. So the anger was difficult for him to control and it often took it’s toll on the people around him. Even on Galahad.

~

Galahad’s cafe was the only one in the area that stayed open all night. That was part of why Galahad loved it so much. He would never admit it, but he was as much of an insomniac as Mordred was, though for different reasons.

Warm light spilled out of the front windows, turning the sidewalk to gold. Mordred stopped short when he saw who was sitting at one of the window seats, sipping on a beverage. Their eyes met through the glass.

Mordred broke the gaze first, entering the cafe and ordering something for himself. Then he joined Galahad by the window. Part of him was desperate to lean in and kiss him, but the greater part was more afraid that Galahad would run if he did that.

“Hi,” Galahad said. An awkward smile touched his lips.

“Hi,” Mordred echoed.

They both sipped on their respective drinks, trying to find the right words in the awkward silence. Mordred spoke first.

“Why won’t you have sex with me?” Well, that wasn’t what he’d meant to say. He’d meant to say ‘sorry.’

Galahad blinked.

“Is it my fault? Do I smell bad? Do you think I’m a virgin or that I’m going to disappoint you? Am I not good enough for you, just like I’m not good enough for everyone else?” Mordred realized he’d raised his voice. A quick glance at the counter showed the barista watching them warily. Mordred buried his face in his arms, cheeks feeling like they were on fire.

“I’m sorry,” Mordred muttered into his arms. He couldn’t meet Galahad’s eyes.

“It’s okay. I should have told you when we started dating: I’m asexual. I didn’t mean to let it go so long, but you never pressed until today. I thought maybe you were like me.”

“So it has nothing to do with me?” Mordred met Galahad’s gaze. Galahad smiled.

“Nothing to do with you, It’s just the way I am and I don’t think I’m going to change. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. Are… are you upset that I’m not asexual?”

“No. Not as long as you don’t try to pressure me into anything I don’t want.”

Mordred nodded. He could do that. “Are we… can we stay together? Please? I really like you and I don’t want you to feel threatened around me and-and-” He was rambling.

“Yeah, we can stay together. I like you too.”

Mordred buried his face again. Normally he hated being embarrassed, but it felt so good with Galahad. He muttered something into his arms.

“I didn’t catch that.”

“I love you so much,” Mordred repeated, still not looking up. He couldn’t, not with his face melting off the bone.

“I love you too- Are you crying? Baby, please don’t cry.”

Mordred sat up and wiped at the tears streaming down his face. The way Mordred could drop his guard around Galahad had scared him at first, but now he couldn’t imagine not having him. “I’m happy, let me cry.”

Galahad laughed. “You’re making me want to cry too.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve just never loved anyone so much and had them love me back.”

Galahad’s hands caught Mordred’s and gripped them tightly. “Then let’s make this work. Because I don’t want this to end. We’ll have to work on communication of course, and patience and learning to compromise and…”

Galahad’s words faltered off as Mordred leaned over the table and kissed him. They were both smiling too hard to hold it and Mordred sat back.

“I was talking,” Galahad chastised, mock offense on his face.

“I know. You’re beautiful.”

People had offered that compliment to Galahad so often, even in the shadow of Lancelot, but when Mordred said it, he couldn’t stop the blush that crawled onto his face.

“You’re beautiful too,” Galahad said, hiding his blush behind his hands.

Mordred grinned. He was so helplessly in love and he hoped it never faded.


End file.
